Estate Planning
Wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, structured to protect your family and preserve your legacy without the paperwork overwhelm. Get a clear plan, not just documents.
Explore Estate PlanningOhio's #1 Legacy Law Firm
Your Business.Your Family.Your Legacy.Protected.
You have worked hard for what you own. We help you legally protect your family, your business, and your legacy. Unlike many law firms, we offer transparent, flat fees and direct access to your attorney.
What We Do
What Brings Most Clients Here
Three areas where having the right legal strategy changes everything.
Business Law
Counsel to help you navigate through LLC formation, contracts, compliance, succession plans, and acquisitions. Build it right from day one.
Explore Business Law
Real Estate Law
Property transactions, leases, and financing arrangements. Counsel for Ohio property owners and investors from the purchase agreement to the closing table.
Explore Real Estate LawWhy Costaras Law
A Different Kind of Law Firm.
Most firms hand you documents and send you on your way. The goal here is different. Practical strategy, clear communication, and AI-augmented efficiency, with a real attorney guiding every step.
- Proactive, Not ReactiveMost attorneys show up when things go wrong. The goal here is to make sure they never do, with planning that anticipates problems before they cost you.
- Flat-Fee, No SurprisesNo billable hour guessing games. Transparent, flat-fee pricing and direct access to your attorney from start to finish.
- Business-Minded CounselLegal advice that speaks your language, focused on outcomes, leverage, and decisions that move your business and family forward.
- Family-CenteredEvery plan is built around your family's unique needs, not a one-size-fits-all template. We protect what you're building for the next generation.
- Attorney-ReviewedAI-enhanced efficiency with every document personally reviewed and approved by your attorney.
- Unlimited RevisionsWe refine until it's perfect. Every legal service comes with our 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Satisfaction
100% Guaranteed
Nicholas Costaras, Esq.
Founder · Trusted Advisor
Meet Your Attorney
Serving Clients Who Take Their Future Seriously.
Nicholas Costaras, Esq. founded Costaras Law with one purpose: to give business owners and families across Ohio access to strategic legal counsel, not just paperwork.
He's an approachable, experienced attorney who cuts through legal complexity and offers clear guidance. Whether structuring a business, protecting an estate, or reviewing a contract before signing, the focus is always on what matters most: getting it done right for the client.
15 years in practice
A real-estate investor and fourth-generation entrepreneur
Talks with you, not at you
Estate, business & contracts under one roof
Clients don't come here to get buried in documents. They come here to get things done, correctly, completely, and with confidence.
Nicholas Costaras, Esq.Founder, Costaras Law
See How We Work
What Working With Costaras Law Looks Like
A quick overview of our approach to protecting your business, family, and legacy.
Introduction
Tell us about your legal situation. We map the gaps and tell you whether you even need us.
Strategy
Scope, deliverables, and price, written and locked. No surprise invoices. No hourly clock running.
Protection
We draft, file, and implement. You walk away with a structure that holds, and a permanent relationship for the next time.
Where We Serve
Serving families and owners in all of Ohio.
Headquartered in Independence, Ohio, in Greater Cleveland. We serve all three major Ohio metros: Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati, plus underserved markets like Canton, Toledo, and Youngstown. Licensed to practice in all 88 Ohio counties.
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Cincinnati
- Independence
- Akron
- Canton
- Toledo
- Youngstown
- Parma
- Lakewood
- Westlake
- Strongsville
- Mentor
- View all locations
Frequently Asked
Answers before you call.
The questions Ohio owners and families commonly ask us, answered in plain English. If you don’t find your answer here, schedule a free intro call with us.
A 15-minute call, a written summary of what we discussed, and a flat-fee proposal for the engagement if you choose to retain us. No hourly clock. No charge for the call.
An LLC walls off your personal assets from business and rental liability, adds credibility with lenders and partners, and gives you a clean structure for taxes and succession. Forming an LLC before you buy a property, sign a contract, or hire your first employee protects you personally from legal issues that may arise from your business.
We can tell you whether a living trust is right for your situation after a free introductory conversation. A will only takes effect after death, and your estate still goes through probate (the court-supervised process of validating your will and distributing your assets). A living trust avoids probate, can hold rental property and business interests, and lets you stay in control while you're alive.
They solve different problems. An LLC limits liability. If a tenant sues, the rest of your assets are walled off. A trust handles succession. When you pass, the property transfers without probate. Most serious landlords need both, structured together.
Nevada and Delaware pioneered domestic asset protection trusts. Ohio's Legacy Trust Act now gives Ohio residents an in-state option offering comparable protection that's less likely to encounter issues in an Ohio court.
Small administrative updates (beneficiary changes, address) often, yes. Substantive changes (new property, marriage, new business) almost always require an attorney to keep the plan internally consistent. We charge a flat fee for amendments to plans we drafted.
Yes, anywhere in Ohio. We meet remotely with clients in Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Toledo. Documents are drafted, executed, and filed identically.
It depends on the complexity of your plan and how quickly documents are reviewed and signed. After your introduction we give you a clear scope up front, drafting and review first, then signing, notarization, and (for trusts) funding the trust with your assets, so you always know the next step without an hourly clock running.